


Busted Lips and Bruised Knuckles

by Nemuresu



Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Akira really dislikes Morgana, Crossdressing, Delinquent AU!, Gay Kurusu Akira, It is going to pretty much follow through the whole game, M/M, Persona 5 Spoilers, Pining, Slow Burn, Spoilers, Underage Smoking, delinquent! Amamiya Ren, delinquent! Kurusu Akira, delinquent! Persona 5 protagonist, light Violence, more tags and characters will be added later on if needed, slightly canon divergent
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-22
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-04-26 12:31:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 21,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14402193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nemuresu/pseuds/Nemuresu
Summary: It didn’t come as a surprise to anyone when Akira Kurusu finally got in trouble with the police. The only shocking part about it was the fact that it happened over something as small, rather than because of all the drinking, smoking, fighting and shoplifting.Right now Akira is staring at the shadow in front of him and realizing that their reaction to finding out he died will probably be ‘wow, that kid couldn’t lay low even during probation, huh?’. The worst part was that he was actually trying this time.A fic made for a really old prompt asking for a delinquent Joker.





	1. No need to get into any more trouble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Akira lays low

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ended up taking a lot longer than I expected and became a lot longer. I'm not even sure if I can post something that big there... Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

This is not something that most people realize or uphold, but it is true for Akira: there is a sort of honor in fighting someone.

Sure, fights aren't always _fair_ and Akira is never happy when it turns out the guy he is fighting brought friends; but that's not what _really_ matters. What matters is that in a fight, everyone involved has to be willing to bleed.

Akira drinks, smokes and has shoplifted more than once, but one thing he can pride himself in is that he is not a bully. After all, bullies are cowards. There is no real rush, risk or achievement in beating someone weaker than you. What that makes fighting truly interesting is the threat of losing; once you take that away, it just means you are a coward.

This is one of the reasons why Akira hates adults so much. They stare at him and his friends in disgust, but all of them have forgotten (or never learned) that basic rule. All participants must be willing in a fight.

Akira loathes them for picking on those weaker than them, for abusing their power.

The night Akira found out why Momiji hung out with them, despite never drinking or fighting he nearly went after Momiji’s father to beat him up. Hinata had to hold him down until he lost steam.

Unfortunately, Hinata was nowhere to be found on _that_ night.

* * *

 The new town is weird. There are too many people everywhere at all times and Akira feels more lost than ever.

He ends up asking a cop for information on how to find the place he is supposed to go and he has to take a few seconds to remember how to act when he isn’t being suspected of doing something bad. In his old town everyone knew who Akira was and what kind of people he hung out with. Everyone had already made up their mind of who he was. It kind of made things easier.

He has no idea if this is going to be better or worse, what he does know is that he has to lay low. No need to get into more trouble than he is already in.

* * *

Turns out it is pretty much the same.

Sakura makes sure to make it pretty clear to Akira that he won’t think twice about going to the police at any screw-up, and the school staff doesn’t seem any happier to have him. Akira smiles at them and says he will behave.

His voice doesn’t sound convincing even to his own ears.

* * *

 The first meeting he has with someone from Akira’s new school comes with a promise that isn’t fulfilled.

“You gonna rat me out to Kamoshida?”

It may be a new face, but the posture is one Akira has long learned how to read. And even though he keeps thinking about having to lay low and Sakura’s words from the day before, he can still feel his blood pumping with excitement, his fist clenching and…

_No._

Breathe in and out. In. And out.

Akira blinks and plasters on a confused face. He’s fine. He can lay low. He’s great.

* * *

He was wrong.

Akira can’t for the life of him understand what is going on, but whatever it is, it is _not_ laying low. Laying low does _not_ involve half naked creepy old men or bleeding boys or death threats.

Fuck, Akira is doing just _great_ on his second day of probation.

He’s trying not to think too much about it, trying to focus on breathing, to calm down and ignore and mostly just… _not. think. about. it_.

Except Akira can’t ignore the spears, the threats or how _serious_ the crazy pervert seems about all of this. Akira isn’t a particularly good guy, but he can’t just sit and _watch_ as some motherfucker kills a guy in front of him. But he keeps going back to his old life. He knows he doesn’t really have much back there but…

 _Still_. He has to lay low if he ever wants to go back. He has to play it safe. He _has_ to remember that Sakura won’t help him. Just like the teacher won’t. Just like his old “friends” didn’t.

 _No one_ ever fucking helps.

And if Akira want to be any better than those people he has to do something other than _stand_ here and _watch_. _“Was your previous decision a mistake, then?”_ Akira’s heart is pumping so fast it feels like it is going to jump out of his chest. He can feel sweat on his skin and he has _no_ idea where the voice is coming from. But his blood is boiling, his teeth clench.

It doesn’t matter where the voice is coming from, all that matter is that it is _wrong_. Akira doesn’t regret trying to help that woman. _Fuck_ , he doesn’t even regret what he did with Hiro. He doesn’t regret any of it. _No one_ should have power over anyone like that. _Especially_ if they are going to use it to hurt someone else.

Akira looks at the boy being kicked on the floor. Akira is **not** wrong. And he’d really fucking appreciate it if people fucking **doubting** him.

* * *

 

 Akira is used to anger. He is even used to pain. But that in no way prepared him for how his blood feels like it is boiling inside his veins. How he feels like he is more pain than consciousness. How he can’t even think about holding back the scream that tears through his throat.

He feels all his pain _consolidate_ into a mask and _fuck_ , it’s a bad idea but he can’t have it there anymore. He grabs the tip and he pulls and it _hurts_ , but maybe everything will be better if he can _just_ -

Akira is used to blood. He is used to his own blood running over his face.

But _fuck_ – he is _not_ used to how _good_ he feels.

He feels _free_. He feels like the whole world is nothing compared to the magnitude of _him_. He _thought_ he felt free the first time he got into a fight; he _thought_ he was free when he lost his virginity; he _thought_ he was free when he was laying down in Hiro’s bed, smoking his first cigarette and feeling like he could live forever.

All of that? All of his _life_ before this moment? They were _nothing_. _This_ is true freedom.

 _This_ is _true_ power. There are chain moving around him and he doesn’t have to look to know that they are part of another being. A _stronger_ being.

A being that now is part of Akira.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are always appreciated!


	2. Powerful in one moment and completely helpless in the next

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Akira has control over the situation

Being late on his first day of class isn’t a good look and Akira knows it. Of course, even if he didn’t, it’d be pretty clear from Kawakami’s face. She isn’t even _trying_ to hide her distaste. She doesn’t buy his lie either, so… everything is going just fine. Being stopped by policemen and then by the school counselor and the castle pervert is all part of Akira’s awesome and perfect staying low plan.

“Just… don’t get involved with Sakamoto, okay? He’s nothing but trouble.”

His new homeroom teacher’s worry makes him want to laugh.

Akira started to recognize a pattern with Ryuji when he was talking with Kamoshida. One he has grown incredibly familiar through his years of fighting: a short fuse and an ever shorter emotional range, guys that when they feel anything that might be even close to weakness, punch something as hard as they can for as long as they are able, until they completely forget about it. It isn’t exactly Akira’s profile, but being too bored for his own good isn’t a particularly appealing personality either, so who’s he to judge? But Akira can also tell that, no matter how familiar Ryuji might seem, he doesn’t _feel_ like the kind of guys Akira used to hang out with. Ryuji doesn’t feel like he has ever stolen, or beaten a guy up which a chair, or disappeared on his family for over a day before turning up drunk and bloody. Ryuji feels _different_ and Akira is almost offended that Kawakami felt that she should try to protect Akira from him instead of the opposite.

Still, he just shrugs and follows Kawakami through the corridors to her class. The whole way he can hear whispers. _“I heard that he carries a knife around…”_ Akira sighs. So _that_ is what Kamoshida had meant by “try to enjoy your new school life”. These people should really work on being more subtle. _“He looks normal… Did he really do all that stuff?” “I’s probably just a front. I bet he totally loses it the second something doesn’t go his way._ ”

Akira mourns for a bit all the classes he won’t be able to skip because of all the extra attention. If the teachers weren’t already going to be all up on his ass because of his probation, now the students were sure to keep tabs on him as well. He sighs as Kawakami opens the door and when he steps through the door the whispering in the classroom somehow feel louder than the ones from corridor. _“Urg, I can’t believe I have to be in the same class as this freak.” “You shouldn’t look him in the eye; never know what could set him off.” “I heard he did all kinds of crazy drugs before coming here.” “What the hell, I don’t want a junkie in my class!”_

Akira is getting a headache. A high came as he was running around the creepy castle, but pretty much as soon as they left his body started to feel completely drained and he just wants to nap the day away. All this attention isn’t doing anything to make him feel better. There are very few people in the classroom not whispering about him; one of them is boy sitting in the second row, face colorful with bruises.

And _well_.

It’s only been a day, but it looks like home. More specifically, the only part of home he misses, no matter how much he wishes he wouldn’t. The part he lost before the shit _really_ hit the fan, and _fuck_ it is stupid. Akira doesn’t regret what happens. He shouldn’t miss it because he doesn’t really want to apologize and convince them to have him back. Not with the way things are going to be now for them. He feels homesick all the same.

Their eyes meet and it is half by reflex that Akira smiles. He kind of hates himself for hoping that those bruises might mean he can have something close to what he had before Hiro decided to fuck it all up. The boy jumps  on his seat and looks away. Probably better off this way.

“You can sit over there”, Kawakami points to a free seat and Akira tunes back into the real world with more effort than he would need in a normal day. Right. Class. He slowly walks over his seat and the whispering only gets worse when the girl in front of him whispers something to him. _“Do you think they are dating or something?” Urg_ , Akira already hates this place.

* * *

 

For some reason that completely alludes Akira, Ryuji decided that they are friends and should go back to the creepy castle. Akira said yes, because he is an idiot and all that sneaking made him feel the most alive he has in weeks. Even as he said it, he knew it wasn’t a smart decision but it was mostly on the front of how it didn’t exactly line up with the whole laying low thing he has been trying.

Turns out it is a really, really dumb idea for a completely different reason.

There is a foot holding Akira down to the floor and at each second the force over him grows stronger, making it harder to breathe. A few steps away, Ryuji is kneeling, looking lost and Akira is not _stupid_. He can put the pieces together. He has seen enough shit in this place to know what it really means when Ryuji says Kamoshida used to coach the track team. As to what “track traitor” means, Akira still isn’t too sure, but… probably not as bad as some shit Akira has done.

Not that any of that changes in any way the defeated air about Ryuji, the way his hands keep shaking and no guard even needs to be close to ensure that he doesn’t try to break free or get out or fight back.

And _fuck_ , Akira wants to _something_. Anything. He _wants_ to try and break free, to run away or to fight back. He fucking _needs_ to. He tries  pushing up against the boot holding him down and it just presses down harder. _Shit_. He can’t understand Arsene can make him feel so powerful in one moment and completely helpless in the next. Akira bites the inside of his cheek and _fuck_ , he kind of always thought he would last long but this is _not_ the way he wanted to go.

If it wasn’t for his self destructive tendencies, it might have been some homophobic asshole, or maybe even one of the guys from before getting in trouble and him diving head first into a problem that was too big for either them. Still, he never wanted _this_. He always thought that if _was_ going to die, then at least he would make it count. That he would at least go down swinging. At least take out one of their guys before he went out.

Akira thought that if was ever going to break, then he would break someone else with him. Akira _wants_ to break someone else with him. He doesn’t expect to walk out of this, but he sure as fuck wants to make sure no one else walks away either. Akira wants to be a motherfucking bomb. He wants to level this whole goddamn place to the ground, no matter what it takes. But can’t. Because Morgana and him weren’t strong enough to defeat the guards, because Arsene left him completely drained, because the boot on top of him is making it harder and harder to breathe by the second. Akira isn’t the kind who ever wants to be saved, but _right now_? He wouldn’t mind a bit of help. Even if it came with strings attached. Even if it came from that motherfucker Hiro. Not that any of that would happen. His lips twist into a condescending smile. Of course no one is going to help, no one e-

Next to him, Ryuji explodes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, comments and kudos are appreciated.


	3. The question isn't a question

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Akira thinks his actions through

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so so sorry about how long this took. I got a writer's block and that was just followed by a lot (and I mean a lot) of exams and tests. I actually should be studying right now.  
> Thank you all so much for your patience and I really appreaciate it if you are still here.  
> (Also, if you are interested I did some reworking on the first and the second chapter, they did not change much except for a few small details that had to be rewritten as I came to a few conclusions about where this is headed)

A fun, interesting little fact about Akira Kurusu: he has _shit_ taste in men.

His mother tended to be a bit of a romantic even though her relationship with Akira’s father wasn’t exactly smooth sail, and she would often smile at him and tell him how happy he would make someone one day when he did something particularly sweet. She didn’t take it particularly well when he told her that someone would be a guy but she would certainly have taken it worse if she had known what _kind_ of guy it would be.

She eventually had an idea when she walked in on him and Hiro one night, but at that point he had already disappointed her so much it didn’t even matter that much anymore.

The complicated yet fascinating beast we call sexuality reared its head into Akira’s life in a particularly enlightening watch of Fight Club in middle school and it was pretty much downhill from that. The longest relationship Akira ever had started with a broken nose and ended even more violently, and in the middle of the way he smoked his first cigarette, lost his virginity and learned that punching the principal in the face meant expulsion. Akira sometimes isn’t sure whether it was the worst or the best relationship he ever had.

He is pretty sure it couldn’t have ended any more badly, though.

But Akira isn’t thinking about any of that in the moment. He is too busy watching as chains dance around Ryuji to think of anything other than how _hot_ he looks right now.

* * *

There a fuck ton of excuses Akira could use but none of them would change the fact that at the first change he gets Akira hits on Ryuji, besides he has mostly grown out of the phase he tries lying to himself about who he finds attractive. He smirks and flirts, shrugging off how oblivious Ryuji seems and maybe leans a bit too close when he tells Ryuji his number. Both of them smile over Akira’s mountain of ginger and Akira has to admit that even though it is a pretty cheap one, it isn’t the worst date he has been in by far.

* * *

Date was _not_ the right word, Akira realizes the next day. Trough most of the pep rally Ryuji has done nothing but stare at Takamaki and Akira can’t help but sigh. Of course. Akira doesn’t want something serious, he’s pretty much through with that since that last relationship but he _did_ think that he and Ryuji could have some fun and by now he knows better than to try and offer to guys with crushes on girls. Even if they end up enjoying it, there is too much “it’s not like I’m _gay_ gay, though” bullshit and Akira is _not_ up for that. Ryuji definitely isn’t hot enough to make up for that.

Akira sighs and turns back to the game just in time to watch Kamoshida spike a ball straight into a boy’s face. Akira winces despite himself. That probably broke the guy’s nose. Through the commotion, Akira catches a glimpse at the boys face and _oh_. Those bruises from before were _definitely_ not the kind he thought. Something churns in Akira’s stomach. “He’ll pay soon enough”, Ryuji mutters next to him and Akira can’t tell if his discomfort is showing clearly on his face, or if Ryuji is just trying to psyche himself up.

* * *

Ryuji corners Mishima near the entrance and while “corners” seems like a bad word, by Mishima’s face it is also the most accurate. Akira doesn’t say anything. It kind of feels being aggressive is not the way to go, Mishima is completely on the defensive and the way he and Ryuji are practically screaming at each other isn’t helping with the investigation and gaining them a lot of unwanted attention but fuck if Akira knows a better way. He just hopes that this doesn’t get to-

 “Mishima, isn’t it time for practice?”, the question isn’t a question. Speak of the fucking devil. Akira’s hands ball up into fists at the tone and _man_ does he want to punch someone. A _very_ specific someone. Someone he really can’t punch because going to prison doesn’t really appealing. Akira closes his eyes and breathes. Slow and easy. It isn’t being particularly effective, it almost never is. Kamoshida turns his attention to him and Akira forces himself to smile, “You have an amazing spike”. It doesn’t sound sincere but by Kamoshida’s face it wouldn’t make much of a difference if it had.

After Kamoshida walks away, Mishima tells them that investigating won’t help. That everyone in the staff is in on the abuse and _fuck_ , Akira really needs to punch someone. Either that or smoke.

* * *

 

Morgana tells them to get over their stupid human morals and embrace the possibility of murder and _suddenly_ the breathing exercises aren’t doing _shit_. “What the _fuck_ are you talking about?”, he hits the table the cat is standing on and he probably shouldn’t be so loud, wouldn’t want to get caught in an off limits area with a contraband cat but _fuck_ , he is past the point of giving a shit.

Akira has done some fucked up shit but for fuck’s sake, he is _not_ a murderer and won’t become one in the middle of a motherfucking probation. He is. supposed. to. be. laying. low. “Oh, wow”, Morgana looks at him with barely disguised contempt “I was expecting this from the hot headed idiot, but I thought _you_ ’d be better than that?” Akira smiles and it is mostly teeth. Oh, _yes_ , how unreasonable to oppose murder. “Well, whatever. I’ll come back later so make your decision until then.”

The cat hops off the table and walks out of the roof, ignoring Akira shout of “we already have”. _Fuck_. A hand lands on Akira’s shoulders and he jumps with the contact. Ryuji is looking at him with a concerned smile, he seems as tired as Akira. “You okay there, man? I didn’t expect you to get so worked up.”

Akira answers something non committal. He’ll be fine as soon as he gets to let off steam.

* * *

 

Akira isn’t a good person. He rarely even is a decent person most of the time, so he can’t really understand _why_ he brings Takamaki to the café or why he sits across from her, watching her watch her cup of water. It is clear that neither of them are particularly comfortable and her eyes are rimmed red; so Akira thinks about whether they will be kicked out if Akira pulls his cigarettes. Probably, considering they are still in their uniforms. “It was Kamoshida on the other side of the line…”, Takamaki starts talking, her voice so neutral it seems she is telling someone else’s story, but her words chosen so deliberately it is clear she can only be talking about herself. Akira sighs and leans back as Takamaki tells him Kamoshida is pressuring her for sex and threatening her best friend’s position on the team. She starts crying and Akira slides a napkin to her side of the table.

Akira isn’t a good man so he offers to buy her a coffee and when she asks why he is still listening to her he just smiles and lets her think he is a better person than he could ever hope to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, kudos and booksmarks are really appreacited!


	4. Neither are enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Akira keeps a cool head

Akira runs through the corridors and _fuck_ , Ryuji must have been pretty damn good at track. Motherfucker’s been who knows how long without practice and still manages to leave Mishima and Akira completely in the dust. Akira runs through the corridors and thanks the fact that they are unusually empty. He can hear Mishima following him close behind, breathing harder than their pace would suggest. But maybe that makes sense. The guys is a nervous wreck. He has plenty of reason, of course. Akira would probably be too, if he wasn’t so busy being angry. That’s what sets Akira and Mishima apart and despite what Mishima might be thinking, their reasons for following Ryuji are completely opposite.

Takamaki is crying in an ambulance with a girl that tried to kill herself and Akira can’t really convince himself that he has to lay low. Akira slams the door to the teacher’s office open and they step into the room. Ryuji is screaming at Kamoshida, who has a condescending little smirk that makes Akira’s hand itch. “We just received a call from the hospital”, Kamoshida says looking straight at Ryuji, after a brief glance at the new arrivals, “Shiho is in a coma with no chance of getting better”. Now he looks away from Ryuji and straight to Mishima, his twisted smirk growing. Akira is close enough to hear the moment Mishima stops breathing. “Poor gi-”’

The sound is _really_ good, but the step back Kamoshida has to take is even more satisfying. But neither are enough. “Don’t you fucking dare”, Akira growls at him. There is silence in the room, like everyone else can’t quite process what just happened. Kamoshida especially is looking at him like Akira is something from another reality. It almost makes Akira smile. Did he really think he would get away with this? Did he really think they were _that_ scared of him? Akira is _very_ glad to go against expectations. Akira grabs Kamoshida’s collar and raises his fist again. Yeah, it’s time for this motherfucker to le-

A hand grabs his wrist before he can do anything.

The grip is loose but it makes Akira stop. More out of shock than anything else. He can feel the hand shake around him. He turns to look and there is Mishima, eyes red and face so white he looks about to pass out “D-don’t…”, his voice barely above a whisper and breaking in all the wrong places.

Kamoshida breaks free from his grip, but Akira doesn’t look at him. He just stares at Mishima. Mishima who told him to stop even though this is the man who beat him up every practice; who broke Ryuji’s leg; who tried to rape Takamaki; who made that girl desperate enough to jump off a roof. Mishima knows all the shit this motherfucker did yet is trying to stop him. “Why?”, Akira’s voice is laced with confusion but not enough to wash out the underlying anger. Surprisingly, Mishima doesn’t flinch. Instead his grip grows stronger.

“It’s not worth it”, Mishima says like it explains anything. Like that should be enough for Akira to understand. It really fucking isn’t. Is it really even Mishima’s place to decide if it’s worth it or not? But… Is it Akira’s?

Before Akira can say anything Kamoshida recovers from the shock: “What the fuck do you think you are doing? I will report all of you and you will be expelled!” Mishima’s fingers dig into Akira’s shoulder and that grounds him a bit. Oh. Yeah. Akira is on probation. And he just punched a teacher. He almost wants to laugh. So much for staying out of trouble. Mishima tries to protest, but Kamoshida cuts him off, eyes wild and face twisted with anger, “Don’t try to act like you are not part of the problem, Mishima. To think you would side with garbage like him even after you leaked his criminal record!”.

Akira blinks. _Oh_. Mishima’s hand flies away from his shoulder like it was burned. Any of the fire that had started in Mishima’s eyes goes out and the shaking comes back full force. Mishima’s eyes keeps flicking back and forth to Akira and around the room, as if trying to find a way to escape and calculate if he tried, whether he would manage to get away. This is the most scared Akira has seen the other boy. Having had to recently stop Akira from beating someone up probably didn’t help. Mishima’s mouth opens and closes a few times before he manages to choke out a “He told me to do it. I didn’t-”. Akira leaves the room before he finishes the sentence.

* * *

 

Akira is lying on top of a couple of abandoned tables, taking slow drags from his cigarette and then watching the smoke drift up the sky. He isn’t exactly angry anymore, or rather, he isn’t feeling the kind of red hot anger that makes him jump into immediate action. The door to the roof opens with a creak and Akira doesn’t even bother putting out or hiding his cigarette. He is already on an off limits area and punched a teacher. Whatever. It can’t get much worse. “Hey, man, are you h-”, Akira recognizes the voice, so he turns to look at Ryuji, who is completely frozen on the spot, hand still holding the door open, staring wide eyed at Akira’s mouth. Oh, yeah. He didn’t know about the smoking, did he?

“You should probably close that before someone notices we are on the roof.” Akira’s voice seems to snap Ryuji out of his daze and he closes the door behind him, movements a bit stiffed. He walks over to where Akira is now sitting up, eyes accompanying the cigarette. Akira raises an eyebrow.

“A-are you… smoking?”, Akira snorts at the question. What the fuck else would he be doing? Akira nods and extends his hand holding the cigarette to Ryuji as an offer, Ryuji’s nose scrunches up on disgust and makes Akira want to laugh. “I didn’t know you smoked…”

“Picked it up because of an ex”, Akira shrugs and Ryuji does a weird humming sound and bites his lip, before sitting in the table next to Akira. He turns away from Akira and stares forward to the edge of the rood and _oh_. This was _not_ a good choice of place to come. Akira had just walked to the quietest place he could think of but _fuck_ , someone had just jumped from here. A stiff silence surrounds them but Akira doesn’t mind it too much. Better than to be yelled at over what happened in the teacher’s office or be asked more questions or having to hear apologies. Akira can feel the table under him shaking in time with the bounce of Ryuji’s leg. Akira watches him for a bit, which eventually makes Ryuji look back. “I was thinking”, Akira starts speaking, voice slow and calm, like he had been thinking this over in their silence. This isn’t strictly true, he was mostly thinking about what was going to happen to him when it got out that he breached his probation and looking at Ryuji. It is a nice view. “I don’t care about what happens to Kamoshida after we go to the castle.”

Ryuji swallows and exhales slowly. “Yeah, me neither.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Sorry, but there was just no way Akira was going to stop Ryuji from punching Kamoshida.)  
> Kudos and comments are always appreciated!


	5. Almost purple in the light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Akira gets what he wants

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What even is time, am I right?

Akira isn’t a cat person. He isn’t a dog person either; truth be told, Akira just isn’t a pet person. The idea of having something that depends on him for their survival and well being doesn’t sit well with him, he can barely care enough to take care of himself as it is. So, no, he isn’t too fond of this wild idea of Morgana staying with him. Although, of course, that isn’t the only reason why he is opposed to it. It kind of has to do with that whole part where Morgana tried to brush past all the issues they might have with murdering someone. But yeah, he doesn’t want to be constantly swimming in cat fur too.

“Why does it have to be _my_ house, again?”, this is probably the third time he has asked and Morgana just whines about how bad it would be to live with Ryuji in response. Ann has already left and isn’t that fucked up? Why wasn’t her house even considered? She doesn’t seem to dislike Morgana and it isn’t even like Morgana is a guy, or anything. Her parents probably wouldn’t even mind. Akira grumbles and takes his cigarette pack out of his bag, ignoring the way Ryuji stops midsentence for a few seconds before managing to continue arguing with Morgana, who is currently sitting inside Akira’s bag (despite Akira’s efforts to keep it away). The cigarette is already in Akira’s mouth when, as he is about to light it, it is suddenlyi swatted away. Akira looks at it, lying in the floor, then turns to Morgana, “What. The. Fuck.”

Morgana fluffs up at the curse word and _fuck_ , they have spent so little time and it is already clear that one of them won’t survive if they really decide to go through with this housing arrangement. “That’s my line!”, the cat practically yells, tail flicking side to side with clear annoyance, “Those things can kill you, you know?”

His fists curl up automatically, and Akira has to force himself to take a deep breath. _This_ is a discussion he has had way too many times and he _really_ isn’t up to having it with a mother fucking cat. “Fuck off, Morgana”, he says instead of a real answer and tries to tune out as best as he can what Morgana starts saying next. He stares at the cigarette on the floor and yeah, no way he is getting that one back. When Akira looks back at Ryuji, he has kind of apologetic look on his face and mutters a ‘sorry, can’t have pets in my building’; he huffs out a bitter laugh. That isn’t much of anything, he doubts Sakura would want a cat inside his café, so maybe he can still dodge this bullet.

* * *

Sakura is completely in love with the cat, because of course he is. Akira plops down on his bed as Morgana eats the food Sakura brought it. “We have to set down some ground rules, so we don’t end up killing each other”, he says letting out of a sigh. He looks at Morgana who just keeps eating like this has nothing to do with it. “First, you don’t get to say shit about me smoking.” _That_ makes Morgana pay attention.

“No way! I don’t know who you think I am, but I am not about to sit by and let you destroy yourself like that!” Akira closes his eyes and pays attention to how the sheet feel on his hands. This is going to be a long night and he _really_ doesn’t want to burn out too fast. The second he gives up, that’s when Morgana starts to get away with anything it wants.

“No, I won’t back down from that. It’s my body, my choice. It has absolutely nothing to do with you. Now you ask for something.” Akira opens his eyes and stares at the cat. When it starts to open his mouth, Akira adds “and no, it can’t be anything related to me smoking.” The cat stops and leans down to eat some more of the food. Yeah, that was _real_ smooth.

* * *

Eventually they work out a deal, it takes a lot longer than it should have and neither are happy with it, but Akira really isn’t in the mood to let these things build up until he ends up trying to punch a cat. Akira is tired and not really over how much he had to give up last night and really, really tired of having to deal with Morgana. One of its demands was that Akira took it to school, what the fuck for Akira still doesn’t understand, but right now what he really needs is to spend time with someone he doesn’t hate, so he walks up to Ryuji during lunch and invites him out to do something. The grin on Ryuji’s face is too big and he looks way too fucking happy, but Akira smiles a bit back when Ryuji says “Yeah, man, thought you’d never ask!”

* * *

They end up staying on the school but running is surprisingly fun, so it kind of makes up for the initial disappointment. Akira likes pretty much anything that gets his body moving, a way to stave off the almost constant boredom that surrounds him but running is especially nice. Not as good as the fights were, but, hey, at least it won’t get him in any further trouble. Akira sits down on the grass near the gym, wondering if he can get away with smoking right now, considering there is no one around. Ryuji is still standing, breathing hard and he has a big dumb smile plastered on his face. “Hell yeah, man.”, he says looking at Akira. He is practically glowing with excitement. It makes a grin grow on Akira’s face in response, “It feels really good to run again”

“Yeah, it’s been a while since I’ve done anything physical like this. I missed it”, Akira sighs and stretches a bit. He kind of hopes Ryuji won’t assume he was in a sports club in his previous school and decide to ask about it, Akira doesn’t really feel like coming up with a lie right now.

“I know exactly what you mean”, Ryuji says with a nod and sits down next to Akira, “we have that whole thing with the other world now, but, you know”; Akira grins. Yeah, he knows. In Mementos it just isn’t the same. Either your persona makes you feel too powerful or it makes you completely exhausted, and if anything goes wrong, it just takes a spell to make it completely fade away.

This, though? The way his muscles feel after the run, the way that they will hurt a bit in the next morning. This is something he needs. He still kind of misses that rush he got addicted to, but right now he feels content. This isn’t so bad. When Ryuji turns to look at him Akira doesn’t think twice before mirroring his smile.

* * *

Akira is kind of going stir crazy. He wants to do something, but there are times when they can’t go to Mementos and Ryuji is too busy to go running, and it has gotten to the point where Akira has started to work at LeBlanc pushing past to all the times Sakura tries to talk to him about girls. He really doesn’t feel like coming out of the closet to the guy who told him he would save Akira’s number on his phone because it was reserved for beautiful women. Akira tried to spend time at Untouchable, but he isn’t exactly swimming in money and Iwai figured out pretty soon Akira was just going there to hit on him and didn’t plan on buying anything. It is a shame that the only probably-not-straight hot guy that Akira met on the city seems to be completely uninterested. It probably wouldn’t be a great idea to date a guy who is probably at least on his late thirties, but hey, since when does Akira makes good choices, right? He isn’t going to start now.

Which is point proven by exactly what he is doing right now. Letting that weird shady doctor test some unknown medicine on him. She keeps calling him “guinea pig” and passes out less than five minutes after downing the thing. When he wakes up, Akira tries to figure out if he would be able to tell if someone harvested non-essential organs while he was passed out, but his mind is working a bit too slowly for him to reach an answer before Takemi notices he is awake. He eventually manages to get up and doesn’t feel any different than usual, so he figures he is probably on the clear. She watches him make his way to the door but before he opens the door he asks him if he plans on coming back. Akira shrugs, “yeah, probably”.

Takemi’s face twists with confusion and she cross her legs, still watching him with interest. “Why?”, she asks as if she isn’t too sure whether she is glad to keep her “guinea pig” or bothered by the fact that this specific nuisance will come back. It’s fine, Akira isn’t too sure what he thinks of her either.

“It’s something to do”, he tells her and her face twists even further. He chuckles a bit at that and leaves. Akira doesn’t have to like her, as long as it is interesting, he will show up and let her do whatever she needs to.

* * *

Akira thought the days before the heist were bad. He thought the days he couldn’t go to the palace were bad. Turns out the days after they steal the treasure are worse. Like, a lot worse. There are absolutely no fucking news about Kamoshida and the longer the silence stretches out the more it drives home just how bad Akira fucked up. Why couldn’t he just stay out of this shit, he asks himself, as he stares at the last burst of anxious messages sent by Ryuji and Ann. Really, he doesn’t get why _they_ are so fucking worried. It’s not like they are on parole for assault and _wow_ , ended up punching a guy who is probably going to rat him out for the police. He has been turning and rolling in bed for a while when the thought finally comes to him: I wish Ann had killed that motherfucker. Akira clenches his jaw. No. He promised himself he wouldn’t get this way.

He shoves away the sheet on top of him and gets out of bed, not bothering with trying not to wake Morgana up. Who gives a shit at this point? He just needs to get out, get these thoughts out of his head, calm down. He isn’t going to sink down to this level. He is already going down the stairs when he hears Morgana’s voice, but he doesn’t turn around, doesn’t bother with a reply. He just leaves the café and hopes it won’t find him even it decides to try following him.

Akira walks to the metro station and hops on the first train that shows up. He doesn’t think about how this is probably the last train for the night. He doesn’t think about how he left his mobile back on LeBlanc because he didn’t want to receive any more messages from anyone. He doesn’t think about how he definitely won’t have enough money for a cab if he needs it. He just sits on the almost empty cart until he doesn’t feel like it anymore, then he gets out and walks out into the street.

It is completely by chance that he ends up on Shinjuku. He had heard about it a few times before but didn’t know too much about it. Someone else might be worried about being in a place like this at such a late hour, but as he looks at the bars, Akira just thinks about how this is exactly the place he wants to be right now. Like, fuck it, right? He has completely fucked up his laying low plan, so might as well try and enjoy what little time he has left.

* * *

The bar Akira ends up going into is practically empty, with only two women chatting, one behind the counter and another sitting on a stool swirling her drink in an almost empty cup. “Welcome”, says the one Akira assumes is the owner. He is quick to notice the cigarette on her hand and wonders if it means he can smoke in here too. As he looks at her, she does the same to him but doesn’t say anything before starting to wipe down some glasses behind the counter. Akira can’t help but smirk a bit, he’ll be able to get drunk, then.

“Hey there, handsome”, Akira turns to look at the woman on the counter. She seems to be fairly drunk but considering her face, she’s probably going to try and do something with Akira regardless. “Want me to buy you a drink?” Akira’s smirk automatically turns into flirtatious as he agrees, settling down on the stool next to him. He isn’t interested in women, especially when they are drunk, but, hey, he isn’t stupid enough to turn down a free drink either. The woman’s lips are painted a bright red and her smile grows in a way that makes Akira think she might try to swallow him whole, but he doesn’t mind. He has done worse to get a free drink and older people who are interested in people who look as young as he usually act this way. It’s nothing he isn’t used to. “Lala-chan”, she says turning back to the woman behind the counter and raising her glass, “two more.”

“No can do, darling”, the answer is so casual and quick it takes Akira a second to process it. He blinks at the bar owner. Her short hair looks almost purple in the light and if he wasn’t more worried about his night going wrong. “He is clearly underage and that is reason enough to not give him anything _and_ to discourage your advances.” Her voice doesn’t leave any room for argument, but it isn’t hard either. Akira surprises himself by not minding it too much. Unlike him the drunk woman seems to mind this very much and starts whining about how ‘Lala-chan is ruining all of her fun’. He cringes a bit at the sound and leans away a bit, no need to pretend to be interested if he isn’t getting anything out of it. ‘Lala-chan’ completely ignores her complains and addresses Akira instead, “I don’t think that there is anything with coming to this kind of place, but you should take care, ok? It’s a bit late.”

Akira huffs out a laugh. People seem to be so fucking concerned about him over here, it’s fucking ridiculous. “I can take care of myself just fine.”

‘Lala-chan’ stares at him for a second before smiling. “Ok, but I’m pretty sure the trains have stopped running by now, so if you want me to drop you off somewhere after we close up I can do that.” Now it is Akira’s turn to stare. It isn’t often people just offer to do things for him for no apparent reason and it is kind of suspicious. He considers her proposal for a bit before shrugging. She has been pleasant so far and he can ask her to drop him off somewhere close enough to walk to LeBlanc, but far away enough so she won’t know where he lives.

“I might take you up on that”, he tells her, “but I don’t think I’ll stay here until then.” There is no point in staying in a bar where he won’t be served and where his only company is a bartender and a drunk woman who might decide to start hitting on him again. ‘Lala-chan’ just hums non-committedly before telling him the bar closes at three. As he leaves the door she tells him to have fun and to be safe. Akira doesn’t feel like he needs to be told either, but it makes him smile despite himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now the truth comes out. I am completely in love with Lala. Half the reason why I started writing this was because I wanted Lala to shine. I would say I am sorry, but I am not; if Atlus won't give me the wonderful bartender I need, then I will have to take the matter in my own hands.  
> (Comments and kudos are always welcome!)


	6. His cue to leave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Akira makes good decisions

“Hey”, Akira leans against the glass counter of Untouchable and stares at Iwai’s feet resting right next to his arm. Iwai is reading a magazine Akira has never seen before and doesn’t even acknowledge his presence. Great costumer service as always. “I have a little something I think you might enjoy.” That makes Iwai look up at him, but judging from his expression, doesn’t really pick his interest.

Iwai takes the lollipop out of his mouth and Akira is slightly distracted for half a second. Fuck. “Seriously, kid”, Akira’s eyes snap back to Iwai’s, “if you aren’t going to buy anything you should leave.”

Akira huffs out something that is nearly a laugh. “You should really work on your costumer service.” The look Iwai shoots him shows just how much he cares about costumers’ happiness. Not that Akira expected any different. “Either way, I’m not buying but I _do_ have something to do here”, Akira fishes out the medal from Kamoshida’s palace from his bag and holds it up a little bit above the counter, giving Iwai a full view of the item. “So? What do you think?”, Iwai’s expression changes into something that can almost be called interest and Akira can barely contain the smug little grin that wants to grow on his face.

Iwai takes his feet of the counter and straightens up a bit on his chair, looking at the medal in silence for a few seconds before saying “I think that I don’t want to know where this came from.” Akira smiles. Yeah, probably not. Not like Iwai would believe Akira even if he did decide to tell the truth. Besides, from what Akira knows about Iwai, he isn’t the kind of guy who will go to the police even if he does think Akira stole it. “What can you do for me, then?”, Akira asks as he settles the medal on the counter. Iwai picks it up and turns it around on his hands for a bit. “30,000 yen.”

Akira’s face twists. Just 30,000 yen? “Seriously?”

Iwai gets up from the chair and puts the medal back in the counter. “I won’t go any higher than that.”, he crosses his arms and yeah, that posture is _very_ familiar. Iwai is expecting Akira to fight him on this, it has probably happened before. “This is a shop, not a charity. I’m doing you a favor just by buying that.”

Akira sighs. 30,000 yen seems so fucking little after all that work, but he has the sneaking suspicion that if he tries to push it, it won’t go well for him. “Fine”, Akira settles on. Iwai nods and hands Akira the money.

“Surprisingly agreeable”, Iwai says and the lollipop goes back into his mouth. It paints a nice picture. “Yeah, what can I say?”, Akira shrugs, “I have a soft spot for hot guys.” Iwai sighs just like Akira expected him to. Iwai made it pretty clear the first time Akira made a pass at him that he was not interested but it didn’t seem to make him uncomfortable and it lets Akira have a bit of fun.

“Well, if you are so willing, I think I will take advantage of your soft spot”, somebody else might have tried to make it sound flirtatious, but Iwai’s was just a weird cross between flat and amused. Akira raised an eyebrow at him but doesn’t move away from the counter, telling him to go on. “I was thinking maybe you could take this with you”, Iwai settles a paper bag on the counter next to Akira, “and bring it back next time you come, what do you say?”

Akira looks at the bag for a little while and then grabs it. “I feel like I should get more than 30,000 yen if I am going to do this for you”, Akira answers smirking. Iwai opens his mouth to answer, but before he can say anything the door to the shop opens and two men walk in, one with glasses and a brown suit, the other one wearing a black suit. Akira knows he has to leave before Iwai even says anything. He knows law enforcement when he sees it and if Iwai wants him to get this bag out, he isn’t stupid enough to think he can stick around with it. As Akira moves away from the counter, the two detectives make a beeline for Iwai; Akira’s right hand is already wrapped around the door knob when the man with the dark suit loses enough interest on Iwai to notice and address him, “Hey, kid, what’s in the bag?” The tone is extremely familiar: a demand phrased as a question. It sets Akira teeth on edge. He feels the paper bag crunch up as he clenches his fist. “Say something! We won’t let you go until you tell us what is in the bag!”, the man says again, even more demanding now.

“Actually, I don’t think that it’s any of your fucking business”, Akira says, jaw set and voice carefully casual. Iwai lets out a surprised laugh and the detective’s face shows clear anger. The man takes a step towards Akira, but his partner puts a hand on his shoulder and says “Hey, calm down. He’s just a kid. Besides, he’s not the one we are here to see.” The man on the darker suit shakes his head and sighs but turns back to Iwai.

Akira doesn’t need anything else to recognize this as his cue to leave.

* * *

It’s a relatively peaceful night, Akira trying yet again to endure time working at the LeBlanc and failing miserably at pretending to like the costumers, when suddenly Morgana yells from the basement. “Is your cat okay?”, Sakura turns to him, eyes with more concern than they would probably have if it was Akira screaming for unknown reasons, “You should go check on it. Don’t worry about things down here.”

Akira surveys the café and yeah, no. There is absolutely no fucking way he would be worried about leaving Sakura to take care of the café by himself. Akira doesn’t particularly care about the café and the only costumers are an old couple that usually just orders two cups of coffee, drinks them and leave. “Yeah, sure, I’ll check on the cat”, Akira takes off his apron and walks up the stairs.

Morgana doesn’t give him time to say or ask anything before starting its tirade, a mess of accusing questions spoken in a voice so frantic Akira can understand the words. It’s about the third time Morgana asks an iteration of ‘why did you bring that here’ when Akira manages to cut in with “what the fuck are you talking about?”

Which clearly was _not_ what Morgana wanted from him. “You know exactly what I am talking about!”, it shouts and Akira slightly wonders what it must sound right now for anyone else; if non-stop hysterical meowing is any less annoying than being lectured without even knowing why. Akira is barely even registering the words being said –people have screamed at him for long enough for his tuning out skill to be good – but one part catches his attention immediately “and then when I turn around you have brought a gun into this house!”

“Wait, what?”, Akira asks. Did it just say gun? What gun? Morgana freezes mid-speech, Akira’s surprise sounding genuine enough to make it confused. Of course, the confusion isn’t enough for its voice to sound anything other than angry. “What do you mean what? I’m talking about the gun you brought. In the Big Bang Burger take away bag”, Morgana moves towards the paper bag Akira had dropped on the table pretty much as soon as he had gotten back home. The paper bag he got from Iwai.

Well, fuck. Akira sighs. At least the cops didn’t decide to search him back on Untouchable.

* * *

Akira leans back on the cushioned seat and lets out a satisfied sigh. Life, at this exact moment, is good.  _Very_  good. The buffet is fancier than pretty much anything he has ever been to before and even the dirty stares Morgana shoots at him whenever he puts something on his plate it doesn’t consider healthy or manly enough aren’t enough to bring him down. Although it did make him pick many more deserts than he otherwise would.

Pretty much the only thing that could make it better was if he could talk the staff into letting him have alcohol. Not that the people with him would ever let him drink in peace: Morgana would try to make as much a scandal as possible to stop him, and even though Akira isn’t too sure how Ann would react, Ryuji would probably try and act casual but fail so miserably it would end up bringing nearly as much of a spotlight as Morgana.

Still, right now things are really fucking good.

“Ah!”, Ryuji raises his fork in the air and a woman a table over shoots them a dirty look. Ryuji and Ann don’t really seem to notice her, but Akira is so used to the stares he can pick them out easily. He also already knows those people are almost never brave enough to do shit, so he just stares back until she feels too uncomfortable to keep looking. “Have you guys seen that site? The Phan-site, or something.”

“Oh, yeah! I did see that”, Ann responds, her voice is kind of loud but luckily it doesn’t make any other of those fancy assholes to stare at her like she spat on their faces. Or maybe they are just trying to ignore them now. “There were, like, a bunch of people thanking the Phantom Thieves, right? It’s kind of crazy.”

Ryuji nods and gestures with the fork as he speaks, “Yeah, it really drove it home for me how we helped people. And it got me thinking… I think that we could do a lot more.”

Akira unconsciously straightens himself in his chair and Ann stops eating. “You mean you want to continue with the Phantom Thieves?”, Ann asks and when Ryuji nods again, her smile grows. “I feel the exact same way. I want to help people, I don’t want things to go back to the way they were”, she forks the slice of the cake in front of her, but before she can eat it her smile fades away. It takes a few seconds for her to resume talking, her voice now somber, “But… if we keep doing this… then we are going to have to keep fighting shadows, right?”

The word shadow makes Ryuji tense up almost instantly, “You’re probably right”, he mutters, before managing to smile again, turning to look at Akira, “But I’m sure we can manage, right?”

Ryuji’s smile looks almost the exact same it does after their runs and if Akira was more sensitive then maybe he would have noticed the nervousness hidden in them; but he doesn't need to see I to know that  _this_? Doing this Phantom Thieves thing even though they are no longer having to do it to save themselves? Is a bad idea. They are risking themselves because they “want to help people” who they don't even know. Which… isn’t really Akira’s scene. Besides, there still is the whole probation situation. It is a horrible idea, but it doesn’t take long for Akira to say “Yeah, if you’re up for it.”

Because, fuck, at least the year won’t be boring.

* * *

Akira places the paper bag on the counter with a bit more care than he usually would have. Turns out Morgana had over-reacted and it wasn’t a real gun, just a particularly realistic model but still; better safe than sorry with products he doesn’t want to pay for. And considering the attentive way Iwai has been watching him ever since he stepped foot in Untouchable he _will_ collect if Akira ends up breaking it. Akira taps his fingers on the counter next to the bag to the rhythm of a song Ann had hummed all throughout Math class and says, “I want in.”

“So… you looked inside, huh?”, Iwai asks and Akira shrugs. Not like he explicitly told Akira not to, even if it was most likely because the detectives arrived before he could. Iwai sighs but doesn’t seem particularly mad about it, “ok, I can work with this. Follow me, let’s talk in the back.” Akira looks around the empty shop and wonders why the fuck they would need to go somewhere more private but goes through the door Iwai opens for anyway.

The small room is cramped with boxes, on the floor, on top of shelves, all over the only table in the room. Iwai pulls a chair away from the table and sits down, Akira leans on the wall because Iwai might have been nice so far, but Akira isn’t exactly comfortable with being in a small room with no escape route.

“Look, kid. I like you”, Iwai says and Akira knows that smirk, it means there is a ‘but’ coming and Akira tenses up, because the last time someone told him ‘I like you but’ it hadn’t ended up well for him. Akira crosses his arms and tries to keep his expression neutral. “Those models, though? They are worth hundreds of thousands of yen, sometimes even millions. And we might not know each other very well, but I figure a high school doesn’t have that kind of money.”

Akira raises an eyebrow. “So… you are going to offer me some other way to pay for them?” Iwai chuckles and Akira knows he is right on the mark. Iwai doesn’t seem to be the type to work with shit like prostitution and besides that Akira can do pretty much anything, but he doesn’t let himself relax yet.

“My offer is: you help me out with my business, smuggling goods, destroying evidence… and I’ll introduce you to the special menu. With student discount. How about it?”, Iwai leans back on his chair, watching Akira carefully. Somehow it doesn’t feel threatening.

“I don’t mind”, Akira says, posture relaxing. “Just maybe just let me know next time you use me as mule, I _am_ on probation.”

“Oh, probation, huh?”, Iwai’s expression bothers on impressed and his eyes look Akira up and down as if he would now suddenly find a sign that had been there all along. He doesn’t ask but Akira knows what he is thinking about, “For assault”, Akira says casually into the room and Iwai hums back at him just as casual. Akira’s mouth twitches into a grin. Always nice to find someone who doesn’t mind a violent background.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am incredibly surprised with the amount of Iwai in this chapter... Either way, hope you enjoyed it!  
> Comments and kudos are always extremely welcome!


	7. Through the rear-view mirror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Akira does some introspection

“So… how did you do on the exams?”, Akira asks as he adjusts his red gloves. He and Ryuji are on watch duty, staring at a closed door and Akira is bored out of his fucking mind. And worried about Ann, yeah. But also really fucking bored. Ryuji keeps rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet and the worry and time they already spent here are mounting up, so they are starting to run low on topics.

Ryuji shakes his head and sighs, “don’t even remind me, man. Mom is going to lose her shit when she finds out.” Akira lets out a low whistle. It’s been a long while since either of his parents attempted to reprimand him on bad grades but he can vaguely remember the rush of guilt and shame he got when they did it for the first time.

He eventually grew out of the feeling after so many arguments. “I feel you. At least Sakura won’t even think to ask me about mine.” Ryuji’s pendulum motion stops and tilts his head to the left. “Oh, shit.”, Ryuji’s voice sounds worried and curious at the same time, “You didn’t do well either?”

“Oh, no. It was an absolute shitshow.”, Akira shakes his head and when he looks back to Ryuji, he looks like his whole world is crashing down. Akira laughs. “Don’t tell me the glasses fooled you into thinking I was smart?”

Akira’s laugh seems to snap Ryuji out of his confusion and he grins at Akira, “Kind of.. But I guess I’m also surprised the guy who almost became the Phantom Thieves’ leader is as dumb as me.” Akira shakes his head. He still can’t believe they had tried to do that. Luckily they had stopped as soon as Akira said he had no intention of staying if they kept pushing that role bullshit. Having leaders always fucks shit up. Akira know that all too well.

“Aren’t you glad that I stopped you, then?”, Akira smirks at Ryuji, but before he can answer anything the door in front of them makes a sound. Akira snaps his head in its direction. And there they are, gold and blue doors, opening in all their ugly glory.

“They did it!”, Ryuji yells and his smile is like the sun. Akira’s smirk shift into something else Akira doesn’t even want to think about and pats him in the shoulder, “Yeah. Let’s go before it closes again.”

They start running at the same time.

* * *

No matter how long they do this whole Phantom Thieves thing for, Akira will _never_ get used to sitting inside Morgana. The whole fact that it can turn into a fucking minivan is wild, but maybe he could try and forget about it, if the seat weren’t always so _warm_ and it didn’t talk to them while in this form. Akira grips the wheel and tries to push past the discomfort. “Is this really a good idea?”, Ryuji’s body is twisted so he can look at the backseat where Ann and Yusuke are sitting; a sitting arrangement settled by Ryuji’s scream of ‘shotgun’ as soon as they walked into Mementos. “I mean, should we focus on Madarame’s palace?”

Akira sighs, they have already had this discussion a few times and Akira doesn’t really see the point of continuing it when they are already in Mementos. He sees through the rear-view mirror Ann roll her eyes before answering “Yes, it is! Yusuke just got his persona, we should train with him a bit before going back to the palace!”

Akira looks back to the street (if it can be called that), focusing on trying to find the down escalators. Morgana had said that the requests they have to follow through are at a lower section. “There is no reason to coddle me”, Akira hears Yusuke’s low voice answer, “Bringing Madarame justice should be our focus.”

Fucking hell, if they make Akira turn this car around just to go to Madarame’s palace…. Akira leans back on his seat (Urg, warm. Gross.), “Well, we’re already here, aren’t we? It would be just a waste of time to turn back, besides, Ann has a point. The castle is riskier so it’s better for Yusuke to learn the basics here.” Ann lets out a relieved ‘thank you’ and Ryuji grumbles before muttering a ‘fine’. He settles back on his seat.

“Glad you finally decided to listen to the voice of reason”, Ann says and when Akira glances back at her, she looks smug as all hell. He smiles a bit at himself. “Now, what are the requests we have again?”, she asks. Ryuji unlocks his phone and starts reading the list of names and reasons out loud. It’s a weird thing, hearing all the shit that gets people to ask for the help of the Phantom Thieves; it makes Akira think that he might be part of that list, had he not gotten a Persona as soon as he got here. He knows he has done enough shit and that enough people are scared of him for him to be in that list. Maybe the reason why he isn’t is because Mishima feels guilty about spreading his police records, Ryuji did say he was the mod of the Phansite. Not that Akira will have any confirmation of all that from the guy himself. He is clearly too scared of Akira to talk to him directly.

Still, it makes Akira wonder what his Palace would be like. The creepy old guy told him the Velvet Room was shaped based on him, so maybe it would be a jail. He doesn’t exactly _feel_ trapped all the time, though. Most of the shit he did before was _so_ he wouldn’t be trapped. Maybe it- “I can smell one of our targets on this floor”, Morgana’s voice snaps him out of his thought process. Right, focus. Time to kick the ass of some abusive fuck.

* * *

“Well, well… Look at what the cat dragged in”, Lala grins at him from behind the counter and Akira sits on the stool in front of her and props his elbows on the counter. He has dropped by a few times since their first meeting, usually leaving for other bars after a while, since Lala insists on not giving him anything alcoholic.

“What can I say? I have made getting alcohol from you my new year resolution”, Akira answers, smirking. Lala laughs. “Well, darling”, she says, shaking her head, “I’m sorry to say that you won’t get any closure until the day you turn twenty.” Akira rolls his eyes, but rather than continue the discussion he asks about her the bar has been the last few weeks. Lala says that he is too nosy for his own good, but starts talking all the same.

That’s usually how their interactions work, Akira and Lala start chatting about nothing, maybe gossiping about a few of her clients (not too much, though. She claims that she can’t say too much, otherwise people would stop coming to Crossroads) and occasionally Lala manages to get something out of Akira about how school is going or some other inconsequential shit like that.

As they talk more people start trailing into the bar, their time for conversation running out. Eventually Akira lightly taps on the counter. “I’m starting to get thirsty”, he says and gets up from the stool, “See you later, Lala.”

At his words, Lala stops doing whatever it is she was doing to say good bye and whatever, which is also part of the routine. For all that she says about not giving him alcohol, she never tries to stop him from getting it at other places, all she ever does is tell him to take care of himself. Akira kind of likes it. It is, however, different when she tells him, before he can leave, “You know, if you are so invested in snooping in the life of my clients, than maybe you should start working here yourself.”

Akira blinks at her. She smiles at him in that usual kind way, that shows she won’t be mad no matter how he answers and isn’t that weird? Her offering him a job even though she won’t even let him get near the bottles of alcoholic drinks? “Aren’t you worried that I will try and steal something, since you won’t sell me shit?” Lala shurgs and laughs lightly, “My folks always told me that I am too trusting for my own good.”

“They were right”, Akira says and Lala nods before starting the clean a cup from behind the counter. It is probably the light, but right now she’s looking kind of sad… Akira shakes his head. He sighs. What the hell, right? “Okay, fine”, Lala looks back at him, seeming surprised. “What? It’s money?”, he says pretending to be offended.

She chuckles. “Sure is, darling. Just drop by whenever you have time, ok?” Akira nods and gives a little wave before leaving.

* * *

Akira doesn’t really notice as it happens, but it is now practically a tradition for Akira and Ryuji to meet at least once a week when they can’t go to the Metaverse. They go for a run (usually around school) and then grab a bite somewhere (Akira now knows of a lot more places to eat around his school than he ever expected to). Every time they end up breathless and Ryuji always has a dopey satisfied smile on his face that makes Akira smile back. It leaves always leaves a weird feeling behind, but Akira is missing even that right now. “We don’t even have a locker room anymore, thanks to someone I know”, Akira rolls his eyes. Ryuji’s old track team decided to show up and now they are just talking shit. It got old really fast. “Oh, hey, aren’t you that transfer student?”, Akira looks at the guy in front of the pack – Takeji or something – and levels him an unimpressed stare. They clearly aren’t getting the reaction they want from Ryuji, so why don’t they leave? “You should be more careful. A guy like him will hit you as soon as he gets a little bit pissed off”, Really? They are going to try and warn him off Ryuji? They _have_ to have heard the rumors by now. “You know how it is”, one of the guys further away from Akira starts giggling, “Like father like son.”

Akira automatically tenses up. To his right he hears Ryuji make a noise he can’t quite place and yeah, _fuck_ these guys. Akira takes a step towards Takeji and smiles, “Oh, thank you _so_ much for the advice.” Ryuji hasn’t told him much about his dad, but he doesn’t need to. The little Akira knows is more than enough. He leans closer to the dipshit and drops the smile, voice low, “but maybe _you_ should be more careful.”

The guy’s eyes are huge and Akira can see him swallow. Those guys can’t even keep up the tough act when pushed a little, Akira almost wants to laugh. Those pieces of shit are just going after Ryuji because they know Ryuji won’t do shit, but it’s be fine, Akira will make sure they think twice before th- “Hey, quit it!” Akira is yanked back and Ryuji’s grip on his shoulder is stronger than he expected to.

Before Akira can say anything, the track team recovers its bravado. “The two of them deserve each other”, one of them scoffs and Ryuji’s hand clenches a bit harder around his shoulder. It makes what Akira feels like saying stuck on his throat, so he just stays there, watching in silence as the team keeps telling them bullshit, just like Ryuji. By the time they leave Akira’s shoulder hurts.

“So… why did you stop me?”, Akira asks as they walk to the subway station. Ryuji has been uncharacteristically quiet ever since the team left, only voicing concern and apologies about Akira’s shoulder, which is completely fine. Akira can take pain no problem, he is having a harder time dealing with an upset Ryuji. He takes another drag from his cigarette. Ryuji sighs next to him, “You know, I also wanted to punch him when he started talking that shit about my dad but we can’t do that.”

Akira breathes out the smoke and Ryuji watches the smoke drift away. He has started doing that whenever Akira smokes around him. “Why not?” Ryuji stops walking at the question and stares at Akira, who just raises an eyebrow in response. No, Akira _does_ want to know why. “Because”, Ryuji answers, slowly as if trying to pick the words carefully, “then we won’t be any better than they think we are.”

Akira shakes his head and scoffs, “If you say so.” Ryuji seems a bit bothered by Akira’s response but doesn’t push, which is good, because Akira doesn’t think he will ever understand anything like that. Who cares what these people think of them? Maybe violence isn’t the high road or whatever the fuck, but it sure as fuck makes people think twice about starting bullshit.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of the draft of this chapter had the phrase "It's about personal growth and shit", and I can't believe that didn't make it into the cut.
> 
> Kudos and comments are always appreaciated. If you are interested, [this](https://awkward-screeching.tumblr.com/) is my tumblr.


	8. Roll with it and enjoy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Akira has new experiences

The clothes feel kind of weird, but Akira looks in the mirror and smiles. He looks good. He looks really fucking good.

Ann said that they needed to lay low until they were sure that the heist went well but when Akira tries to do nothing, his feelings just build up until he snaps and that shit is never good for anyone. What he needs instead is to focus his energy somewhere else. So it really shouldn’t be much of a surprise when Akira decides to take Lala up on her half-joke proposal to be his producer.

It is a Sunday afternoon, the bar is still closed and they are currently in a room Akira had never been in before. There are a fuckton of clothes and shoes in boxes and racks and while he was looking around Lala told him they would stop immediately if he felt uncomfortable. Akira can’t imagine having asked her to stop. Akira twists his body, trying to see how he looks from other angles. He hears Lala chuckle from the sofa she is sitting, “So… What do you think?”

“I think”, Akira says as he runs a hand over the skirt. The texture is really fucking nice. His cheeks are staring to hurt from how much he is smiling. “I look really fucking hot.” Akira turns to look at her, and Lala’s smile is as wide as his. Fuck, she looks so fond Akira feels like he could drown in it. “I also think we should try make-up now.”

Lala laughs and Akira kind of wants to live in this moment forever.

* * *

Akira is bored out of his fucking mind. They have just changed Madarame’s heart but instead of having any of the celebrations Ryuji kept talking about here they are: listening to some random dude being interviewed. It was clear from the very start that the school trip was going to be a complete waste of time but he figured it would be better than getting into an argument with Ann and Morgana. Akira is starting to second guess that. In an attempt to fall asleep that he knows will fail Akira leans back into his chair and closes his eyes. His mind automatically focuses on the shaking of his chair. Ryuji is sitting in the next seat, bouncing his leg non-stop and the movement is traveling up his chair as well. Akira has gotten too used to it to be actually bothered by it. “If these Phantom Thieves are real”, the guy on stage says, “I believe they should be tried in a court of law. They are taking the law into their own hands. It is far from justice.”

“What the fuck is this guy’s deal? He’s making us sound like villains!”, Ryuji says, in that voice that means he is trying to keep quiet. He isn’t good at controlling his volume. Akira elbows him lightly as a warning. “Sorry”, Ryuji tries again and even though it isn’t perfect it is good enough. “It’s just… He’s saying a bunch of bullshit.”

Akira opens his eyes and they stare at each other for a second. Akira doesn’t really care much about the Phantom Thieves’ public image but just by looking at Ryuji it is clear on his face how much this is bothering him. “Don’t let him get to you too much. I mean, it’s just one guy, right?”, Akira half shrugs but Ryuji’s face just seems to be getting worse, so he adds “Like, on the Phansite. You said that there were a bunch of people thanking us, yeah? Those are the people that matter. The ones we helped.”

Ryuji’s smile starts shy and a bit doubtful, but it slowly grows, “Yeah, you’re right”, he says and slings an arm around Akira’s shoulders. He has started doing that lately. Akira doesn’t mind it too much, even though it did throw him for a loop the first time, when Ryuji leaned into him and threw an arm around his shoulders to peer into the treasure chest they had just found. It’s just that Akira had never been too used to physical affection; for fuck’s sake, the last person who did anything like that with him was Hiro and even then it had been pretty damn rare for him to do it in public. Still, Akira had figured that the best way to deal with it is to just roll with it and enjoy how warm Ryuji always feels.

* * *

“…Are you ok?”, Ann asks as she turns on the stove. Akira and she are starting to make hotpot for the impromptu Phantom Thieves meeting. Akira wants nothing more than to skip out on it. He really isn’t in the mood to deal with a bunch of people. He breathes out through his nose. At least right now he isn’t in the same room as Morgana.

“Yeah, I am fucking peachy”, Akira answers without turning to look at her. He just keeps cutting the meat in front of him. If he didn’t think Sakura would be a dick about it, he would be smoking right now. Instead he has to settle for stabbing into this fucking slab of meat. Ann sighs next to him. Yeah, it’s not the answer she wanted but what the fuck did she even expect? “Are you… mad at Yusuke?”, she tries again.

“No.” Akira isn’t mad at Yusuke. Akira understands having to crash with other people, fuck, _he_ is living in a place that isn’t even remotely his right at this exact moment. His issue is with Morgana, who is living off someone who is crashing at somebody else’s house yet invited someone else to live with them without discussing it with anyone. It didn’t even pretend to feel an ounce of guilt when Akira confronted it either, it just said ‘we have plenty of space in the basement’ in that holier-than-thou tone Akira is fucking sick of having to hear.

Akira glances at Ann. She is trying to act like she is concentrating on cooking, but she’s a really shitty actress. Akira rolls his eyes and drops the knife. Fine. “It’s about Morgana, ok?”, he tells her, maybe a bit more aggressively than he should have considering the way she tenses up and keeps quiet. Akira kind of feels like he should apologize but the feeling isn’t strong enough for him to actually do that, so he just picks the knife back up and decides to finish up what he was doing. Ann opens the tap next to him and through the sound of running water she says conversationally, “You know, my folks left for Europe last week and I know for sure that they won’t be back until at least next month,” Akira looks her way and watches as she washes vegetables with an unnecessary concentration, “It won’t be for forever, but we can try and talk Morgana into staying with me until you cool down.”

“Yeah”, Akira says and takes a deep breath. “Yeah, that sounds really good.” They finish up cooking in silence and get ready to take everything upstairs. Akira picks up the pot and when he leaves the kitchen, Ann has already started to go up the stairs. He closes his eyes for a second and lets out a breath, “Hey, Ann?” She stops and turns around to face him, “Yeah?”

“Sorry for being a dick earlier.” Ann shrugs and gives him half a smile. Things aren’t fine, but they are a bit better.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos, comments and bookmarks are extremely welcome


	9. No reason to make it any easier

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Akira gracefully accepts some suggestions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ladies, gentlemen and everyone who is neither, I have a terrible confession to make: I grossly overestimated the amount of time Yusuke stayed at Akira’s house in my first draft and by the end I was enjoying myself too much to cut out the scenes so he stayed only one day.  
> I suppose that’s a good thing if you like Yusuke, though...  
> Anyways, please enjoy this chapter (sorry about the time it took)

“Stop that”, comes a voice from the couch. Akira turns away from the open window to look at Yusuke. They have been getting along fairly well after Morgana went to Ann’s house; Yusuke didn’t feel the need to nag all the time and, in turn, Akira did his best to stay out of the way of his art or whatever, occasionally cooking food for Yusuke since the guy just doesn’t get his life together enough to afford food. It is fine. It works.

Or at least it did. Akira sighs and extends his hand so the cigarette is out of the window; he doesn’t like where this is going. “Stop what? The smoking?”, Akira asks, voice flat. Yusuke nods, confidently. Yusuke is very self-assured about everything but, man, Akira didn’t think it would ever rub him off like this. He clenches and unclenches his free hand. “Why? Because it’s bad for my health?”, it isn’t as much of question as it is a challenge.

Yusuke looks at Akira like he is pretending to not understand just to be difficult, “No,” he gestures to the sketch pad he has been working with for most of the afternoon, it lying next to him on the couch in an angle that doesn’t let Akira see what is drawn there, “Because it is impossible to concentrate with that stench.”

That startles a laugh out of Akira. Holy fucking shit. He stares at Yusuke for a bit, who seems to think that this is the most obvious thing in the world. Akira carefully puts out the cigarette so he can get back to it later. “So, you’re saying that as long as I do it away from you, you won’t have any issue with it.”

Yusuke nods, seeming a bit impatient, “Yes. That is what I am saying.” Akira chuckles a bit at that again. Fuck, he really doesn’t get what is Yusuke’s deal. But, yeah. Not smoking inside the house. He can live with that. Better than Morgana, at least.

* * *

“Oh, you’re earlier than I expected”, Nijima says, smiling. Akira crosses his arms and looks her up and down. She looks so fucking proper, it is getting on his nerves. Most of that is due to the fact that she won’t leave him alone, though. He waves away her pleasantries, “yeah, whatever. Just get to the point.”

Nijima stands a bit straighter at the dismissal and her smile drops but in less than a second she goes back to trying to be pleasant. She extends her arm to the table, surrounded by four chairs. “Please,” she says, “Take a seat.” Akira scoffs. She always tries to do this shit and it never works, he wonders is she doesn’t get tired of letting people step all over her. “No, thanks. I have no intention of staying here that long.”

Nijima closes her eyes and sighs. She kind of reminds Akira of his mom, just ignoring everything she doesn’t want to think about, so she can keep up the front of the perfect and worried caretaker and if anything goes wrong she just falls back into the role of victim. Eventually Nijima will get tired of pretending and give up on trying to worry about him. She opens her eyes and tries again, “There is no reason to make this any harder than it has to be.” Akira shrugs. No reason to make it any easier on her either. “Very well,” she says, leaning a bit on the table behind her, “I will cut the chase. Will you tell me the truth about the Phantom Thieves’ incidents?”

And there we go. Akira had half a hope that this might be about something else. If it was about something else she actually had proof of, it would be pretty bad, though. “I already told you everything I know about those incidents, Nijima. And that is jack shit.” Nijima’s face twists at the swear and Akira almost wants to laugh. Seriously, it’s so easy to rile up those people. For fuck’s sake. He rests back on the door, considering his previous experience with Miss President, this will still take a while. “If that is what you say”, Nijima shakes her head but doesn’t say anything else. Wait. What? “Can I leave, then?”

“Of course”, she answers, moving to grab her bag in one the chairs of the table. This. Is Really fucking weird. Akira puts his hand on the handle of the door. Maybe it would be better to get out of here before the other shoe drops. Nijima reaches her bag and picks up something from inside it. “Oh”, she talks like she has just realized something, but it sounds so casual Akira can only imagine it was planned, “There is just something that I think you should see before you go.” The thing she has picked up was her cellphone, Akira realizes. She starts doing something with it and turns it to him, an audio file open. She presses play and Akira knows almost immediately what is going on.

‘If someone else could help them, we wouldn’t be doing this stuff as the Phantom Thieves to start with!’, says a voice that Akira automatically recognizes as Ryuji. The quality is kind of low, but Akira doesn’t even really have to listen to know the words. He was there when they were said for the first time. Fuck. ‘So... you think it’s true...? We’ll be okay if we keep doing this... right?’, answers Ann. Akira fights back the grimace that wants to show up on his face. Nijima stops the audio. “So... Is this enough to make you want to stay a little longer”, she asks him.

Akira can practically feel the smugness coming off in waves from Nijima, she thinks she got them. And she kind of has. Except. Akira didn’t say anything in that recording. Technically he can still try to deny he was there, that he was part of this conversation. It won’t work on her, she saw him, but maybe it could be enough to fool the parole guys. He can say he has nothing to do with whatever Ryuji and Ann are doing and let them to deal with the fallout by themselves. Really, it’s smart. He’s the one this is the biggest threat for and out of the three of them, he is the one with least motive to go after Kamoshida; fuck, the guy didn’t tell anyone Akira punched him, so as far as anyone is concerned, Akira was just the new student who had nothing to do with anything.

Akira’s phone buzzes in his pocket. Nijima is still staring at him intensely, but raises her shoulder as if to say he can check it. He does. ‘Hey, man. Dunno if something came up, but we’re waiting for you’ is the text he just got from Ryuji. Fuck. They had talked about meeting up to discuss who the new target should be, right? “Did something come up?”, Nijima asks voice full of concern, like she wasn’t just blackmailing him a moment ago. Fuck. He kind of hates her. He is pretty sure Ann does too. Especially after she said Ann was the one who should take the blame for what happened to Shiho. He remembers how she started shaking after that, how she wouldn’t look anyone in the eyes. That shit had been ugly. In the end Ryuji bought her a crepe on their way to the station and her mood improved just a smidge. It might not seem like it, but those two got along pretty well. It was nice. It felt good being around them.

Akira sighs. Fuck it, right? He puts on a fake smile. “You know, Nijima”, he says and walks towards the table, “You are just so charming, I can’t help but want to stay a little while longer.”

* * *

The conversation with Nijima wasn’t pleasant. It wasn’t much of a conversation either, more like a long list of demands that just leave Akira pissed and tired. It is only logic then that when Yusuke arrives home, he walks in on Akira practicing doing make up. Akira isn’t confident or anything, but after a few lessons from Lala and advice from Ann when he texted her about it, it is relaxing rather than frustrating to experiment. Considering that Akira can’t get into fights anymore, this is the best way to let out some steam.

“You should put mauve instead. And then silver”, Yusuke says at the same time something hits the table close to the stairs. Probably his school bag. Akira stares at his reflection in the mirror he set up on the table he uses to make infiltration tools and tries to figure out what’s wrong with what he is doing. “What do you mean?”, he asks without turning around to look at Yusuke.

“Turn around and let me show you.” Akira gets up and adjusts his chair so Yusuke will have space to do what he wants, meanwhile Yusuke inspects the makeup kit on the table. “Really,” Akira says as he sits back down, “words can’t express how big of an honor it is to be the canvas of such an amazing artist.” Yusuke doesn’t answer, seemingly too absorbed by the different colors of eyeshadow. Akira sighs. Considering how quiet and intense Yusuke got while painting Ann, this could get a bit awkward. “Ok, close your eyes”, Yusuke says and Akira complies. It felt good when Lala did this, so figures it’s better to ignore the awkwardness and enjoy the ride.

* * *

 “So...”, Akira says, moving his straw through the pinkish milkshake he has ordered. He doesn’t like it all that much, but Morgana always gets so offended about him ordering things it considers girly, it’s what he usually orders. He takes a sip, staring Morgana dead in the eye. Its tail flicks in annoyance and Akira smiles to himself. He turns back to Ann, Yusuke and Ryuji, “Guess who just got blackmailed?”

Ryuji promptly chokes on the fry he had just put on his mouth. Bad timing. Akira starts patting him in the back in an attempt to help him. It won’t do much, but he has no idea what would actually work, so... fuck it. “What do you mean?”, Ann asks from across the table, eyebrows furrowed with concern. Ryuji finally stops heaving and grabs Akira’s milkshake. Fine, whatever. It was Akira’s fault anyway.

“Miss President knows who we are”, Akira says simply. There is silence for a while, as the news settles in. Ryuji lets out a soft ‘shit’ next to him. Akira knows that if he lets the silence go for longer Morgana will just take it as its cue to start accusing people (as in just Ryuji) of being at fault and even if it kind of is true, Akira doesn’t want to sit through another one of these arguments, so he carries on “We talked out an agreement, and she won’t do anything with that information, as long as we deal with a target of her choosing in the next two weeks.”

Ryuji curses again and his fingers start tapping a nervous rhythm against the table, Akira leans a bit more to the right and their shoulders touch. Ryuji breathes out and his hand stills. “Do we know who that person is?”, asks Yusuke. Akira sighs, this whole thing is a shitshow. “The target is a yakuza boss and no, we don’t have a name.”

Ann throws her head back against the red seat of the Big Bang Burger they are in and lets out a loud sigh, “Ok, if we are going to deal with this, I am going to need some cake.”

* * *

“Oh, hey, Aki-chan. Long time no see”, Ohya says after she makes her order to Lala (who still won’t let him anywhere alcoholic beverages). It truly has been a while since they last talked, less because Akira hasn’t been to the bar and more because he has learned enough of her schedule to start avoiding her. Ohya is an annoying drunk and flirts a lot. He can’t be bothered by that right now, though. He has a use for her right now, so he just greets her back, trying to sound as bubbly as her. “This is actually really lucky”, she says, smiling. Akira moves back for the counter to give way for the drink Lala delivers to her. “There was something I wanted to talk about with you.”

Akira blinks. Ohya has something to discuss with him? Their interactions never were anything particularly profound so he really can’t imagine what it is. “That’s interesting”, Akira puts down the glass he was cleaning, “I also wanted to talk to you.” Akira rests his arms on the counter and leans towards her. It’s not unusual for Akira to get roped into talking with one client for a long time, so probably no one will pay much attention to them, but it would for the best to keep this specific conversation quiet. It isn’t a good idea to be asking out in the open about a yakuza boss.

Ohya hums in a way that is supposed to sound interested, but just by the look on her face Akira can tell she doesn’t care at all. Hopefully she will be at least useful. Akira thought of her when Ann mentioned asking a reported about it, but he probably should be expecting less considering that she works on the gossip section. That and her whole personality. She takes a sip for her drink and smiles innocently at Akira, “Say, Aki-chan,” Akira already knows this won’t go anywhere he will enjoy; “You study at Shujin Academy, right?”

Oh. He does not like this. Akira’s smile doesn’t drop, but there is no fucking way he is managing to make it look genuine. “Oh wow,” he says sarcastically. He might not have thought much of her, but with the way she is watching him right now, it would be dumb to let his guard down. Better to not show any signs of weakness. “You did research on me. That’s, like, so cool and not at all creepy.”

Her smile just grows more and fuck, he really wants to punch her. Shit, why the fuck would she look into him? “Did you know, that that is where the Phantom Thieves first appeared? So here I was... wondering if you could maybe get some inside knowledge. You know, like set me up with someone who might have had issues with Kamoshida in the past.” Akira laughs at that. It sounds so fucking fake he stops half way through. She actually wants him to get her an interview with someone who was abused by Kamoshida. What the fuck. Akira won’t that shit, not just because she has decided to invade his privacy with no way of knowing it would be valuable to her, but because- fuck. Last time Akira and Ryuji went out training, his leg just gave out on him; Sunday, Ann nearly cried talking about how Shiho is doing on her rehab. Ohya doesn’t get to snoop into that shit.

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” he says and starts to move away from her, “but I don’t think I can help you.” He steps away from the counter. Or at least he would. Instead she grabs him by the arm and pulls him closer again. “I don’t think you understand, kid”, she is still smiling and when Akira tries to pull his arm away, she just digs her nails in. “I looked into you.”

Ohya probably expected that to make the fight go out of him. To show him she has the upper hand or whatever, but no. This shit? It won’t work on him. It would be bad if his less than stellar past came out, but fuck if he is going to let her scare him. No. He isn’t scared. He is fucking pissed. He yanks his arm away from her, and there might be a bit of blood there, but – honestly – who gives shit. “Get out”, his voice is hard when he says it. Akira knows better than to start a fight inside Lala’s bar. She would have his ass on the street in a blink. Ohya scoffs and opens her mouth speak, but Akira cuts her off, “No. Get the fuck out of here.”

The bar goes silent and Akira doesn’t have to look to know the other clients are staring. Whatever. They aren’t the issue right now. Ohya gets up from her stool and says “You should really train your part timers better, Lala-chan.” As she leaves, Akira forces his fists to uncleanch.

* * *

Lala is rubbing her forehead as if trying to disperse a headache and Akira isn’t really sure whether she is more tired or pissed off. “Darling, you should really know better than this by now”, she says and Akira wonders if she herself knows.

He blows the smoke from his cigarette away from her and stares at the graffiti scattered through Crossroads’ back wall. He had never been here before. He turns back to Lala, “Look, if Ohya didn’t want to start shit then she should have kept her nose out of other people’s business.” Lala sighs and ok, probably more tired by now. This discussion has been going for a little while now and Akira has no intention of changing his stance. It’s Ohya’s own goddamned fault.

”Akira, I get it,” Lala says and if it were anyone else he might protest, but he has been shitfaced around Lala enough times for her to know what kind of shit Ohya probably found when she did somr digging. “Ohya was wrong to do what she did, but you shouldn’t have treated a client that way either.” Akira rolls his eyes. There is abso-fucking-lutely nothing that could keep Ohya away from Crossroads. She practically lives there. He takes another drag. “And even if you don’t care about that, you have to think about the other clients who were there. They didn’t hear how the discussion started, but they sure know how it ended.”

”So what? You want me to apologize? I’m sorry for scaring away potential future clients.” Lala shakes her head at his answer. Fucking hell. Akira really hates when she decides to take it upon herself to lecture him on costumer service. He is pleasant enough to normal costumers who aren’t dicks.

”I do want you to apologize,” Lala says, voice harder than usual, “but I want that apology to be for Ohya.” What. the. fuck? Before Akira can respond Lala holds up a finger to signal she isn’t done talking. Akira scowls at her, but doesn’t say anything else. “I agree that she was also in the wrong and I  _will_ talk to her about this, but neither of you are off the hook for causing a scene in my bar.”

Akira sighs. Lala can be such a pain in the ass sometimes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!


	10. Too ready to forgive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Akira hears apologies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha. Oh, this?  
> This just, um, another updated.  
> A regular update. On the regular schedule.  
> Not like there has been three months of radio silence between this one and the last.  
> Good old time management.  
> Please enjoy this chapter which is completely on time.

Akira sighs and taps his fingers on top of the table. This fucking sucks. He stares at Ohya who is sitting in front of him, seeming as happy as he is about this whole situation. “So... lets get this over with, huh?”, Ohya asks, head resting on her palm, leaning forward on the table of dinner. Usually they would have met up at Crossroads but he didn’t want Lala to be there for this. Not like she has anything to do with this. If he is meeting Ohya it’s because he couldn’t find any other source for the name. Not because she nagged him about it.

“Yeah, sure”, he doesn’t say anything more though. He will have to apologize eventually, but he definitely won’t be the first to do so. Ohya rolls her eyes and mutters something about him being child. Not that she has been mature enough to apologize, though.

They stare at each other for a few more seconds before Ohya finally gives in: “ok, fine. I’m sorry I threatened you, happy?”

Not really, he thinks, but apologizes instead.  The two advert their gaze. Shit, this sucks so fucking much. At least Lala will get off his ass about it.

Not that she has anything to do with this.

Ohya picks up her bag and starts to make like she is going to get up, “well, this has been absolutely lovely,” she says and Akira can tell she is as happy about this as he is, “but I have a job to go back to.”

Akira breathes in. Closed his eyes. Breathes out. Now or never. “Wait”, he says and opens his eyes. Ohya is looking at him, one eyebrow cocked, expectant.  “I told you before I wanted to talk to you about some stuff. I have a few questions I am hoping you might have the answer to.”

Ohya shakes her head but sits back down, “I hope you realize I won’t give this information away for free”, she tells him. Akira nods.

It’s fine. He has a plan.

* * *

It doesn’t take long for Akira to find out whether Ohya plans to use his source. His phone pings as he mans LeBlanc’s coffee maker and when he picks it up, it’s a new message from Nijima. ‘Why does a reporter have my number?’, it reads. Akira doesn’t feel like telling her the whole story – and doesn’t really trust her with it – so instead he just tells her its Phantom Thieves related and if she wants them to get her guy, she should go along. She doesn’t seem too convinced but Akira figures that as long as she gives anything to Ohya it should be enough.

And if it isn’t particularly useful, then well, at least the odds of Ohya trying to use him like that will diminish. Better to be useless than to be her go to guy.

* * *

Akira is shaking. That _fucking_ idiot. Of course, of fucking course, Nijima had decided to take matters into her own hands when she found out what they needed before going after Kaneshiro. Now the yakuza have pictures of him next to booze. Of him close to drugs. That shit would be enough to get any of them in trouble but Akira? If they don’t deliver the money he has his days free counted. Fuck.

Three millions in three weeks.

As soon as they turn the corner Akira lights a cigarette. He isn’t stupid enough to pick a fight just yet, but he really can’t be bothered with trying to get everything perfect considering how shit is going so far. The sound of the lighter makes the rest of the group turn to him. Ryuji is the first to respond, pointing out an alley they can go in, so they are less visible.

Eventually they are all there: Akira leaning against a wall trying to not think about anything, Ryuji next to him, leg bouncing non-stop. Yusuke and Anne are a bit far away from them. Ann is holding Morgana and Yusuke has his nose scrunched up in disgust because of the smell. Nijima is the furthest away and unlike he had expected, she hasn’t reacted at all to his smoking. She just keeps on staring down. Akira inhales.

“Ah, shit”, Ryuji is the first one to speak, “we are so screwed.” Akira lets the smoke out and watches it float up. Should he even bother turning up to school in these three weeks? Like, this probably doesn’t solve the whole “palace in the sky” issue and there is just absolutely no way they can get so much money in that amount of time.

“I have to apologize to all of you”, Akira snaps to look at Nijima as her words. “I was stupid.” Yusuke voices his agreement and Ann looks at him with a scandalized expression. “I got too caught up on wanting to be useful to someone and acted rashly”, she continues.

Akira looks away. Her apologies won’t get them out of this mess. “Quit it with the blame game”, Akira hears Ryuji say, “What’s done is done. Now we have to focus on what we can do now.” Akira takes another drag.

“You’re right. And _no_ ”, Anne agrees, her voice turning a bit harder at the end, “we won’t leave you to pay for all of this by yourself. We’re all in this together.” The conversation turns from what just happened to plans to reach the palace and Akira sighs. There they go again, talking too much and getting another person involved with the Phantom Thieves. They really are too trusting. Too ready to forgive as well.

When they decide to take Nijima to the Metaverse there is nothing he can do to stop them, though. He _has_ agreed to not being the leader, after all.

* * *

“That. Was. So. Badass.”, Ryuji says and Akira almost laughs. He isn’t up to the whole “all forgotten and forgiven” stage with Nijima yet, but getting to punch something helped. The train is pretty empty because of the late hour, which is probably lucky considering how loud Ryuji is being. “I mean, her persona is a motherfucking motorcycle! How cool can you get?”

Ryuji gestures are wide and this time Akira can’t help but smile at him. Ann and Yusuke are probably home by now, but they both had been constricted to make sure Nijima wouldn’t pass out on the train from exhaustion. Not that she seems like she needs them to take much care of her. “She _is_ pretty badass”, Akira ends up agreeing, “and she sure knows how to throw a punch.”

“I know, right?! It was aikido or some shit”, Ryuji seems to be getting into it even more now that Akira answers him. “Kind of makes me want to see what kind of training regime.” Kind of makes Akira want to fight her is more like. She probably wouldn’t fight dirty like Hiro did, but if Akira played his cards right, she probably wouldn’t hold anything back either. He starts imagining how it would feel to be on the receiving end of one her punches, the face she would make when she realizes he was good at fighting with his bare hands, despite using a knife in the Metaverse… He _definitely_ wants to fight her.

“Really?”, Ryuji asks him, head tilted to one side. Oh, shit, did he say that out loud? That last fight probably left him more tired than he expected. “I mean, I don’t have an issue with it, I guess I just don’t understand why you would want to do that.”

Akira leans back into the plastic seat and looks up at the ceiling for a bit, trying to figure out how to answer that in a way that doesn’t sound too out of place before figuring that fuck it, Ryuji probably really wouldn’t be the kind of person who would get scared off by this kind of shit. “It’s fun, I guess.” When he looks back to Ryuji, he doesn’t seem any less confused. Akira lets out a chuckle, “it’s like… that ‘runner’s rush’ shit, y’now?”

“Oh, totally!” Ryuji answers almost as soon as Akira finishes  talking, grin big like Akira had given him money. Akira smiles in response. He can barely even remember how pissed off he was just a few hours earlier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Please leave kudos or comments or bookmarks if you feel like it. You can find me on tumblr (@awkward-screeching) or on twitter (@sorrymanatee).


	11. Pretty much lost to the world

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Akira is helpful

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I did change all of the chapter titles. I am not too sure why either. But if you can tell what the new logic is, you get a pat in the back. (Although I feel like it might be more obvious than I think.)  
> Anyways, enjoy!

“So… you sure there isn’t anything else you want me to do?”, Akira asks, still lingering by the door. Lala chuckles and waves him away, telling him to go home. It isn’t too surprising, especially since it’s been a slow night. Besides, Lala always tries to send him earlier home on days when he has school the next morning. So Akira just sighs and walks out the bar to catch the train. He isn’t in a bad mood because of it, but he sure would have preferred to stay away from LeBlanc for a while longer.

It’s been three days since the Phantom Thieves located Kaneshiro’s treasure and while Akira first thought finding a way to get the yakuza to read the calling card would be the bigger obstacle before stealing the thing, turns out designing the damn things is worse. He can’t be sure on what legs the plan to have the card be seen is, but considering how Ann has been asking him not-so subtly after the design, Nijima must have mentioned something to her, which is definitely more than Yusuke has. Akira would know, they are still living together and he has been having to deal with a lot more of Yusuke holed up upstairs or snapping at him than usual. Still not as annoying as Morgana when it gets in one of its moods.

* * *

“Hey, I’m home”, Akira says as he walks into the attic. Yusuke doesn’t answer, just keeps on working on whatever it is on the table that Akira sometimes uses to make infiltration tools. Akira looks down at the crumpled pieces of paper on the floor, he had only been a few minutes between now and the last time he had come up the room, and there were already two more balls crumpled up. Shit really isn’t going well.

Well, lucky for Yusuke Ohya hadn’t showed up today and Lala actually complimented his make-up, telling him she would try and find him a high heel so he could train next time they had some free time, so Akira is in a good mood. And a happy Akira can be pretty generous. He taps Yusuke on the shoulder, who flinches a bit at the touch, but raises his head to look at Akira, “Oh. Hello.”

 “Yeah, hi”, Akira answers, “When was the last time you ate?” Yusuke scrunches up his face in thought and sets down his pencil. Akira crosses his arms to wait, but Yusuke just seems a bit confused and lost in thought. Akira can’t even figure out if he is trying to figure out _when_ had been his last meal or why Akira would ask him that, so he keeps going instead, “Whatever. Take a break. I made dinner.”

Yusuke’s eyes widen for a bit before he lets out a soft ‘oh’ and gets up from his chair. As they walk down the stairs, he thanks Akira. Akira snorts in response. Yusuke is a weird guy, it isn’t unusual for him to forget to eat and while he doesn’t shy away from getting favors, he always sounds sincere when he thanks someone. It is _very_ different from Morgana who has already started to eat the curry Akira had set out earlier for himself.

“So, how is the card going?”, Akira asks as he and Yusuke sit down with their plates (a one new for Akira) and Yusuke stiffens at the question. Not a good topic, then.

“Not much progress, I’m afraid”, Yusuke manages to get out after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence. Akira started eating in that time, “My muses have been eluding me for a while now.” Akira hums trying to convey understanding. He doesn’t actually get any of this shit, but he does know that trying to pressure Yusuke to get this done with won’t work and that he sure as fuck doesn’t know how to make this easier for Yusuke. Instead Akira tries to reassure him that he can take his while, since Niijima still hasn’t said anything about knowing a way to get the calling card to Kaneshiro, even though Akira is pretty sure that it is bullshit.

* * *

“So… How has it been, now that Morgana is back?”, Ann asks him and Akira sighs in response. They are taking a walk on the park and trees overhead gently move with the wind. It would be a relaxing moment if it weren’t for the fact that Ann had decided to invite Niijima along as well. Ann has been trying to bring them closer together, and to be subtle about it. She is failing very badly on both accounts.

“Oh, so Morgana-kun stays with you?”, Niijima asks and Akira has to wonder if she is taking part on Ann’s initiative. He doesn’t really understand why she would be in any way interested in getting closer to him, though. He nods in agreement all the same and noticing that he won’t explain it any further, Ann starts to explain the whole story about Akira’s housing arrangement. She has already talked about Sakura, Morgana and Yusuke when he realizes she is about to tell Niijima about his probation.

He is quick to cut her off, “Speaking of Yusuke, I think he has been having an art block or something.” Ann might have gotten magically close to Niijima and Ryuji and Yusuke might already trust but Akira isn’t about to let his guard down this easily. Yusuke is a better topic, both because by the shift on Ann’s expression he can see it has quickly picked her interest and because Akira has actually been wondering if he could something.

There is silence as Ann tries to think of a way to help. There is always silence when Ann isn’t talking, since Niijima and Akira don’t really have anything to say to each other. Akira shoves his hands in his pockets and watches river that runs by the path they are taking. He actually likes this park quite a bit. “How does Yusuke-kun usually work?” Surprinsingly, it’s Niijima that breaks the silence.

“Oh, um, in the house, I guess”, Akira replies, taken a bit off guard by the question. Makoto is staring at him with laser focus. It is the same face she had when she told the team she would figure out a way to make the calling card effective. Is she worried about Yusuke?

“When he’s working on something he’s pretty much lost to the world. He doesn’t get involved much with anything that isn’t art related, either”, Ann complements, she also tells Niijima about that time Yusuke tried to paint a picture of her.

Niijima crosses her arms and hums in thought as Ann talks. When she stops, Niijima is quiet for a beat before saying  “Then maybe what he needs is a change of pace. To go out and try something new. Maybe if he gets out of his head for a bit, it will help the ideas flow more easily.”

Oh. That. Could actually be a good idea. When Akira looks at Ann, she is looking back, with the smuggest grin on her face.

* * *

“I don’t have money for that”, Yusuke announces, staring down the fare gate a few steps away from him. Akira closes his eyes and exhales before opening them again, his right hand dancing around his left in a futile attempt to adjust a glove that just isn’t there. Maybe he has been spending too much time on Mementos lately.

“You… don’t have 190 yen.” Yusuke nods and really, Akira can’t even bring himself to be _that_ surprised. Yusuke has a weird relationship with money and he probably should have gotten used to it by now. Yusuke sometimes comes home with an incredible amount of money that by the time a meal has to be paid is somehow gone, leaving Akira to cover for him. Just like now. “Ok, fine. I’ll pay your tickets.”

“Thank you very much, Akira”, Yusuke says and bows. Akira waves the thanks away. It’s not like it’s even that much money and if Niijima’s suggestion goes through, than it will have been more than worth it.

* * *

The town Akira comes from has nothing even remotely close to Shinjuku and if he hadn’t been feeling as shitty as he had the first time he ended up there, Akira knows he would have probably looked like an idiot to anyone who saw him. Although his excitement would be completely different from what Yusuke is showing.

He keeps stopping and framing people or stores with his fingers, and muttering to himself things about lights and shadows and colors and whatever the fuck else that Akira can’t quite make out or understand, he is so caught up on all the things he doesn’t even seem to realize when a couple of guys start hitting on him. It’s kind of fun seeing someone be so excited about something. Especially since it’s something Akira actually likes as well.

It makes Akira think of how Ryuji would react to a place like this.

* * *

Eventually Yusuke tires himself out and Akira manages to talk him into taking a break from unabashedly staring and eavesdropping on people, and takes him to Crossroads. The bar isn’t particularly full (not that it ever is) and when they come in Lala notices them immediately. She doesn’t even wait from them to sit down on the counter before she starts, “So, Akira, planning on introducing us?”

She has a glint on her eyes that kind of reminds him of then Sakura first saw him with Ann. Akira rolls his eyes. He has hit on men in front of her more than a few times by now and even though she never let him do anything because of the age difference she _has_ to know that Yusuke isn’t even close to being his type. He is handsome, sure, but polite and proper isn’t exactly what Akira is into. “Lala, this is Yusuke; Yusuke, this is Lala”, he says and the mention of his name brings Yusuke attention away from staring at the few clients of the bar and back to Akira.

“Nice to meet you”, Yusuke extends a hand to Lala, who laughs and returns the gesture. Yeah, definitely too polite for Akira’s taste.

* * *

The next morning Akira wakes up to the smell of coffee, which isn’t weird in and of itself. What is weird is the time. It is way too early for there to be any costumers on a Sunday. Akira gets up from the bed and when he looks down at the mattress lying on the floor, Yusuke isn’t anywhere to be found. Which is even weirder, considering that Yusuke didn’t go down unless he absolutely had to and that most of the time Akira ended up having to wake him up.

It probably isn’t anything important, but that little bit of weirdness mixes with the sleepiness that still lingers in Akira’s mind, resulting him going down the stairs half expecting to be ambushed at the bottom. When he gets there nothing jumps at him, but he still can’t let his guard down. In one of the seats of the counter is a suitcase Akira recognizes as the one Yusuke brought with him and next to it sits Yusuke looking critically at a piece of paper in his hand. Close by are two mugs with what, by the smell, can only be coffee. Takes another quick look over the café and doesn’t see Sakura anywhere. His eyes return to the mugs. Probably worse than an ambush, then.

Maybe sensing the wary looks, Yusuke turns and sees Akira. “Good morning”, he smiles and walks over to Akira to hand over one of mugs, before gesturing for Akira to sit down. Akira sits down and automatically sets down the mug. “So, what’s with the bags?”, Akira asks hoping that if he gets Yusuke to start talking he will forget he expects Akira to drink.

After the first week Yusuke stayed in the LeBlanc Sakura tried to teach Yusuke how to make coffee, like he had to Akira, and it had _not_ gone well. It was probably for the best that Yusuke focused on his art and didn’t try to work at a coffee shop.

“Yesterday made me come to a conclusion”, Yusuke starts talking and Akira hopes luck will be on his side and Yusuke will get lost as he sometimes did. Anything not to have to drink what was in that mug. “These last few days, I… I have been in a ‘slump’”, Yusuke’s face twisted as he said the word as though just voicing it caused him physical pain, “When I was younger, all I had to think about when making art was the pursuit of beauty, yet now I find no such meaning in my work. Such a thing is nothing short of a sin. Yet yesterday inspiration hit me and I was able to create again”, Yusuke motions to the paper he was holding before he noticed Akira and picks up a few more from the suit case, spreading them on the counter. Akira can kind of recognize some of them as places they had seen yesterday, or people Yusuke had met, or- Oh. That one over there is probably the calling card, Akira realized. Good. “And then I realized: If I am to depict the world in my art, I must first interact with it. I must first understand people. For that reason I have decided to return to the dorms… I will start by meeting the people closest to me.”

Yusuke’s voice is sure and there is no rule to argue with him, not that Akira feels particularly inclined. Yusuke might be a better roommate than Morgana, but Akira’s ideal scenario would be to live alone. He picks up one of the drawing which has tree full of flowers Akira recognizes as the ones from Lala’s kimono from the night before. He puts it back down on the counter before he gets any dumb ideas like asking Yusuke to keep it. “Good luck, then. Want me to help you with all the bags?”

“Yes, I would appreciate it”, Yusuke nods and starts putting away his papers. Akira starts getting up from the counter, but Yusuke stares pointedly at him, eyes showing clear confusion, “Aren’t you forgetting your coffee?”

Akira groans. His freedom will not come today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, leave kudos or comments if you are so inclined!


	12. Oddly calming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Akira is a good student

“This place is oddly calming,” Niijima says as she looks around Akira’s room. He tries to concentrate on putting the gold briefcase on the table, instead of on her. It’s weird having her over, both because they aren’t particularly close and because Akira isn’t used to have so many people over his place at the same time. He’s never been the kind to host group meetings, even before his parents stopped letting his friends through the door.

“Yeah, it’s really cool, right?”, Ryuji answers her going to the bookshelf as soon as he arrives. It doesn’t have much that he won’t have read, since most of what’s there are mangas loaned by Ryuji himself. The rest is random books Akira got at the school library for the days he doesn’t have anything to do. Ryuji picks up one up and turns around for Akira to see the cover. “This one any good?”, he asks. It’s one of the few in the shelf Akira has actually bought, it is part of a series Takuya loaned to him. They haven’t talked since the mess in Akira’s old town but Akira ended up buying the books when he saw them on the bookstore all the same.

“Yeah,” Akira replies, sitting next to Yusuke who has already started to investigate the suitcase, “not sure if you’d like it, though.” Ryuji makes a humming noise and plops down on Akira’s bed, already opening it. Ann sits down on the couch close by and starts poking Morgana, in an attempt to revive the cat. Akira isn’t too sure he appreciates the effort.

“Oh. Wow. Ok.” Akira looks over at Ryuji who is staring wide eyed at the page he is in. Akira can’t quite hold back the chuckle. Probably too gory for him.

“Anyways, did you find anything new?”, asks Niijima, sitting on the other side of Yusuke, who dutifully reports that the suitcase is locked by a rotary lock. “Oh, really,” Niijima mutters and turns to suitcase so it faces her, before starting to mess with the lock. Oh, wow. Akira wonders for a few seconds if there is any security measure in the suitcase that will make something bad happen to them, when this attempt to open it fai-

_Click._

Ok. By now even Akira has to admit Miss President is useful.

* * *

It still takes a while for Niijima’s presence on the Phantom Thieves to grow on Akira, but while he isn’t exactly a fan yet he is starting the recognize the upsides and unlike what Morgana and Niijima would hope, it doesn’t have all that much to do with all the new plans of approach she has been coming up when they go to the Metaverse. She helped with the Yusuke situation and the suitcase; and, really, Akira is the kind of guy who values his privacy, so the fact that the roof door is no longer locked is a _big_ plus.

Akira might not be skipping class as much as he used to but with the ever approaching exam week, Morgana’s nagging had gone to a whole new level. Akira has already had to sit through an impromptu group study so he figures he deserves a break. Besides, it’s PE. No one ever gives a shit about PE.

So here he is instead, on the roof playing a weird phone game Ryuji mentioned last time they waited for Yusuke to finish school so they could go to the Metaverse. The mechanics are simple but he hasn’t had much progress. Mostly because he keeps thinking about other shit. “Fuck,” he mutters to himself as the screen flashes again with the ‘you died’ message. He presses ‘try this stage again’ but it doesn’t take too long for him to get distracted again.

Marie is too bland, right? He kind of wants something flashy but nothing too gaudy either. And should he be thinking about surnames? Lala has one but she is different. Maybe he should ask her sometime.

* * *

The money was fake, because of course it was. Nothing can ever be easy in Akira’s life, after all. So instead of having five thousand yen, he had to get a fraction of that by spending all the talking skills he never developed to get Iwai to buy the motherfucking golden suitcase along with all the other weird shit they found while in Kaneshiro’s flying bank of wonders. He also has to study. Which according to Morgana and Niijima is so that their cover isn’t blown by extra attention attracted by bad grades. Akira still thinks it would be weirder for a guy like him who has had shitty grades for at least three years to suddenly be in the top five scores. Regardless, when Ryuji comes around asking to study together, Akira can’t quite bring himself to shoot him down.

Not that it has been going particularly well. They say two heads are better than one, but – fuck – it doesn’t seem to be doing much for their sorry asses. Akira is well into his second cigarette of the session and Ryuji’s hair is even more messy than usual since he keeps ruffling the thing as if that would somehow help him remember the subject. Akira keeps staring at the math problem he has been looking for over twenty minutes. He remembers Math being relatively easy in the beginning of Middle School. When the fuck did it get this complicated?

Akira sees movement out of the corner of his eyes and when he turns to look, Ryuji has started pacing around the room. It isn’t the first time this has happened. “Why the fuck do we even need to know that for, even?”, he says gesturing wildly. Akira takes a look at the book Ryuji had open at the table. By the pictures it’s biology. “What is even the point of knowing how spiders breathe?”

“Not being held back a year, I suppose,” Akira answers, watching as Ryuji makes a loud whine as he keeps walking in the tiny room. Ok, this isn’t working. Akira puts out his cigarette, gets up and stops Ryuji by holding his shoulders. “Wanna know what,” Akira says, still holding him. Ryuji seems to relax a bit. “We are going to go for a run and after that we come back to trying to work out this shit.”

“Makoto is going to be so fucking mad at us for not studying”, Ryuji grumbles but goes down the stair all the same. _Whatever_ , Akira thinks to himself, _We’ll burn that bridge when we get to it_.

* * *

Exams week is as big a shitshow as Akira expected. He spends most of his time in class daydreaming and there is no way some last ditch effort on the week before could save his grades. Though, weirdly enough, when a question shows up about book lungs Akira knows exactly the answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave kudos and comments if you are up for it.


End file.
